Metal receptacle



Y May 1193@ s. HAMMER METAL RECEPTACLE y 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet `l Filed Jan. 13,

May 6, 193%. s. HAMMER METAL RECEPTACLE n www5 Filed Jan. l5, 1925 /f/m ATTORNEY- f. 2 MW w may i933@ s. HAMMER METAL RECEPTACLE Filed JanV 15, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 43? MTORNEY Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE SAMUEL or. BROOKLYN, NEW YomrnssIGNoR To UNITED METAL Box co. y INC., or, LONG IsLANn CITY, NEW YORK, A coRPoEATIoN or NEW Yom:

METAL EECEETAGLE Application led January 13, 1925. Serial No. 2,152.

type over the construction described in my co pending application for patent,led May 13,

1924, Serial No. 712,945. In the application referred to I illustrate a multi-compartment mail receptacle in which individual tenants doors, close the lower portions of th'e mail receiving compartments, while the upper portions thereof are closed by a single common door, equipped with the postoliice lock and of which only the postman'or carrier has the key. These upper and lower doors -are hingedly supported for4 reverse swinging movement to open position upon a common 1 hinge rod extending along the inner side of proof, I have found that in certain respects,-

a centrally located front panel of the box structure. While such a mail box or receptacle is highly serviceable in practical use, of great durability and substantially theft for reasons of convenience in manufacture, certain structural changes 1n the construction and mounting of the upper door for' the mail.

- receiving compartments is advisable. Therefore, it is one of the prominent features of my present disclosure to provide for the'upperportions of the mail compartments, individual doors, preferably corresponding in size and shape to the lower tenants doors. I.-

' provide these upper doors with means whereby they maybe readily fixed at one of their ends in spaced relation to each other, to a com- 1 mon `counter-balancing bar which extends across the several mail compartments through' openings in the dividing walls or partitions between said compartments. its the unitary downward swinging movement of the doors to an open horizontal position, said doors being pivotally mounted upon a 'common hinge rod fixed at its ends 1n the side Walls of the receptacle. It will be apparent that by reasons of this provision ofA This bar limthe individual doors for the upper portions of the compartments, the process of manufacture .is greatly simplified. vIn the first place,

both theupper and lower series Aof doors are of thesame size, and by providing the connecting bars of different lengths, any number of separate doors can be connected in series with one of such bars in-accordance with the number of separate 'compartments with which the receptacle is provided, which, of`

course, varies in accordance with the number oftenantsresiding in the building. For this upper series of doors, a common post-oice lock is provided, mounted upon the inner side of one of the doors, while, of course, each ofthe lowertenants doors is' provided with a separate lock. y Itis another obj ect of my present improvements to provide a simple, durable and effective means for securely interlocking a pluralnections, may be attached to the upper or lower ends of the receptacle and 'positioned in the plane of the front wall of said receptacle.

vAnother detail feature of improvement resides in the means for rigidly connecting the upper and lower ends of the spaced vertical partitions with the topand bottom walls of the box or receptacle.

With the above and other objects in View,

the invention consists in the improved receptacle and inuthe form, construction and arrangement of its several parts, as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

n In the drawings wherein I have illustrated one simple and satisfactory ,embodiment of the invention, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly in section of a'mail box or receptacle constructed in accordance with my present improvements,

Figure 2 is a front elevation, showing two of the receptacles mounted in vertically su--f 'the lower end of each partition plate may be perposed relation,

' on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,`

Figure 3 is a detail section taken on the Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken Figure 5 vis an enlarged vertical section showlng one of the lower doors and the upper doors in open position,

Figure 5'* is a detail section taken onv the line X-X of Figure 5,

- Figure 5b is a detail perspective View of one of the parts, l

Figure 6 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 6-'-6 'of Figure 2,

Fi re 7 is a sectional view taken on the V.line 7-7 of Figure 4,

FigureS is a front elevation of one of the receptacles having upper and lower accessory panels connected thereto,

Figure 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9-v-9 of'Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a'detail fragmentary elevation of the inner side ofthe assembled panel, as

shown in Figure 9.

Ina practical embodiment of my invention, the side and rear'walls 5.and 6 respectively are formed from a sheet metal plate,

the top and bottomA walls 7 and 8 `being pre- -lferably also formed integral with one o the .side walls and having flanges lapping upon the other side and rear wall of the receptacle 4and to which they'are securely united by`a series of spot welds. At the front side-of the box, the side Walls thereof are provided with .out-turned flanges 9 and the top and bottom Awalls with the upwardly and downwardly extending ianges 10 and 11 respectively. The upper ed e portions of these latter flanges are inwar ly bent at right angles as at 12 and 13 for a purpose which pear. The flanges 9, 10 and 11 are spot welded to the inner side ofthe front plate or wall 14 of the receptacle, said plate being of suiicient length to project vertically an appreciable distance beyond the iianges 10 and 11.

The interior of the box or receptacle is divided into -a series of separate compartments extending the full length thereof by the vertical partitions 1.5. These partitions consist of stamped sheetmetal plates each of which with a laterally projecting iiange 16 spot welded to the rear wall of `the Abox structure. The upper end edge of each partition wall tits closely against the top wall 7 of the box and for greater se-v will hereinafter aprigidly held in conection with the bottom wall of the box structure in a similar manner.

The front plate 14 of the receptacle is preferably-of brass and has a highly polished surface. This brassplate is provided with an upper series of openings 18 therein and a lower series of openings 19, the corresponding openings in the two series being associated with the same verticalmail receiving compartment ormed by the partition plates 15. These two series of openings are spaced from each other by a central horizontal panel 20 Aand the several openings in each series are horizontally spaced from eachother by the vertically extending strips 21 which connect the horizontal panel 20 with the upper and lower end portions of the plate 14.

A hinge rod 22 extends -horizontally along the inner side of the panel 20 and has its end A suitably fixed in the side wall of the box. Upon this rod a plurality of doors 23 for the lower series of openings` 19 are hingedly mounted at their upper ends. Since the means for hingedly mounting thesel doors and for sustaining the individual doors in their open positions substantially corresponds with the structure disclosed in my co-'pending application herein above referred to, it is not necessary to further explain the same in detail. It will su'lice to state that each of these doors is provided on its inner side and its lower end with asuitable lock, one of which I have indicated at 24, -the keys for such door locks being in the possessionof the respective tenants.

I also provide the structurally separated or independent doors 25 for the upper serie's of openings 18 through which communication is aorded with the upper portions of the mail compartments. Preferably these latter doors are of the same size andshape as the lower doors 23, and each of said doors on its inner side and along its opposite longitudinal edges has secured thereto, one ilangeof an angle bar 26, these bars being also secured by spot welding to said doors. Each of said angle bars carries a stud 27 projecting inwardly at right angles to the plane of the door and havin a reduced threaded end 28 which isada ted or engagement through one ,of a series o spaced openings provided in a comparatively heavy metal bar 29.

As shown in Figures 5iand 5*. of the drawings, I preferably provide the stud 27 at its other end with an angularly projecting rectangular lug 27 for snug fitting engagement securing means .to permanently vattach the lugs to the flanges of the angle bars.

Nuts 30, threaded upon these studs rigidly clamp this bar against the edges of the inwardly .projecting flanges of the angle bars 26. On one side of each of the partition plates 15 at its front edge, a metal reinforcing strip 31 is secured and through vsaid strips and the partition plates,.a hinge rod 32 extends, said hinge rod being fixed in the side wallsof the box structure, and being located above the studs 27. It is understood, of course, that the inwardlyextending flanges of the angle bars 26 likewise are provided with suitable openings to receive this hingerod. Inwardly of V the reinforcing strips 31, each partition plate 15 is provided with an opening 33 preferably of square o r rectangular shape, the front edge of said opening being flush with the rear edge of the reinforcing strip 31 and said edges constitu ting a stop against which the connecting bar 29 is adapted to engage. It. will be readily seen that the series of upper doors 25 are very rigidly and substantially connected with each other by means of the heavy bar 29 so that in effect, they -operate as a single door swinging as a unit to open and close position with respect to the several door openings 18. This bar 29 servesto counter-balance the sections of the doors below the hinge rod 32 with the relatively greater portions of such doors. which extend above said hinge rod, so that in the movement of the doors to their opened or closed position, the parts of the box structure will not be subject to excessive strain or jar, due to violent contact of the connecting bar 29. withthesaid partitions 15. It will be noted that when in open position, the several doors 25 are substantially horizontally disposed as seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, which provides a convenient shelfv Aupon which the postman may sort his mail. This feature, however, is not broadly. claimed in the present application since it constitutes a part of the subject matter of my co-pend-ing application. l

Each of the doors 25 may be provided with a narrow slot as indicated at 34 to receive a card while each of the lower doors 2.3 have suitable ornamentally shapedsight openings 35. Above each of the upper door openings 18 is a suitable name card holder 36 which is attached to the face of the plate 14, and, if desired, the rear wall of the box structure at the upper ends of the several compartments may be formed with the inwardly struck card holding tongues 37.

" By providing the structurally separate doors 25 instead of -a single door member for all of the compartments, as in my former application, it is necessary to carry in stock doors of only one size. Thus, any desired number of the doors 25 can be assembled and rigidly connected with each other by simply providing bars 29': of different lengths for the mail boxes of the different widths having agreater or less number of the separate mail receiving compartments.

I have alsoprov-lded means for mountmg two or more boxes or receptacles 1n vertically superpose'd interlocked relation. In large apartment houses, having numerous tenants, it is frequently necessary to provide a great number of mail boxes which practically cover the greater part of the wall space in the lobby or vestibule. Not infrequently, it happens, due to careless workmanship in mounting the boxes, shrinkage of the wall structure or other causes, that one of the mail boxes will be moved out of'horizontal or vertical alignment with the others so that the surfaces of the front plates of the boxes are not flush with each other or with the surface of the wall. I have provided means for eliminating this diflifulty, and to this end, as shown in Figures 4 and 7 vof the drawings, I provide on the inner side of the upper and lower end of the front plate 14, the interlocking bars 38'.

'Each of these bars has an angular flange 39 on one of its longitudinal edges adapted for engagement upon the flanges 12 or 13, as the case may be, and is secured to said flange of the box structure by a plurality of bolts 40 or other equivalent means. These bars 38 are closely engaged against the rear side of the plate 14 and extend beyond the end edge thereof. At a point substantially mid-way of the length of this vertically disposed portion of the bar 38, said bar is slotted as at 41, and the longitudinally extending portion of said bar at one side of said slot is angularly off-set, as at 42, so that said portion of the bar is disposed in spaced parallel relation to the plate 14. This intervening space is substantially the equivalent to the thickness of said bar.

As will be seen from reference to Figure 7 of the drawings, in assembling the boxes or receptacles in the recessed face of the wall structure, the part of the bar 38 located at one side of the slot 41, carried by one of the receptacles, has an interlocking frictiona'l fit between the olf-setportion 42 of the bar, carried by the other receptacle and the edge of the front wall 14 of said receptacle. In this manner, as shown in Figure 4, the adjacent receptacles are securely held in interlocked assembled relation and with their front walls 14 accurately aligned with each other. .Of course, it will be understood that this interlocking means may be provided on the side flanges 9 of the receptacles, as well as on the top and bottom flanges thereof. l By thus interlockin the several rece tacles inaccuracies in the forming of the recesses to receive said receptacles or shrinkage or settling of the wall structure will not. result in displacement of the receptacles in relation to each other. Thus, the close fitting arrangement and neat appearance of the boxes in the face of the wall will be maintained.

In many cases, the mail box or receptacle is provided at either 011e or both ends with` a panel or panels in which the signalpnsh buttons or the speaking tube mouth pieces are mounted. Heretofore, no provision ha's been made for compensa-ting foninaccuracies in the box construction in the attachment of said panels, and in such cases it has been necessary to redrill the bolt receiving holes, wherebythe panelsare attached or connected with the flange of the box wall. To overcome p this difficulty, as shown in Figures 9 and 10 I of the drawings, I provide the panel 43 in which the signal buttons 44 or mouth pieces 45 are mounted with an adjustable attach-L' ing plate 46. As herein shown, this plate is provided at suitablyspa'ced points adjacent one of its edges', with openings 47 of preferably rectangular form through whichv the screws 48, preferably having their heads countersunk inthe face ofthe panel 43, extend. To the rear side of the attaching plate 46 and extending over each of the openings 47 therein, a cap or housing 49 of sheet metal is secured, said vhousing enclosing .a nut 50 threaded upon the screw 48 and the rear wall of salid housing having anopening 51 there.

in through Whichthe screw extends. The other longitudinal edge of the plate 46 is flanged, as at 52, and provided with spaced openings vto receive attaching bolts 53' whereby said plate may be securely lfixed to the flange 12 or13 on the. wall of the box structure. j

In fabricating the .boxes, the space or distance between the flanges 12 and 13 and the end edge of the -front wall 14, the box is not .always uniform and likewise the spacing of the openings in said vflanges may possibly vary. Therefore, it will be readily .appreciated that by providing the attaching plate 40 on the rear side'of the panel 43, which is capable of both vertical and lateral adjustment, with respect to the pane l said panel may be readily attached and properly aligned with the front wall 14 of the box-notwith-f` VVhi le I have standing such inaccuracies.

'referred to a particular form of this adjust-` able attaching means, it will be understood that various mechanical alternative embodiments thereof are possible.

'From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the drawings, it is believed that the several novelfeatures of my present disclosuresand advantages therey of impractical operation will be clearly understood. By the new mountin rangement of the door elements, a Ording access to the upper ends of the mail receiving compartments, `yI have succeeded in materally reducing cost inconstruction, while at the same time, providing a very rigid and durable structure. It is to be noted that in the arrangement of the upper and lower series of doors, and also in the means which I have' provided .for applying and securing the severalv vertical partitions in place, there are 4no externally projecting or visible parts which would detract from the'neat appearance of the boX or receptacle when installed.

'It will further -be appreciated that such a mail receptacle, as I have herein described, 'may be' manufactured and sold at comparatively small 'cost'. Further, it complies with roof. i

I have herein disclosed an embodiment of my present invention, which has been found to be entirely successful in practical use. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that. these various structural features may be susceptible of considerable modification in' the form', and

arrangement of the several detail parts thereof, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of.resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be embodied within the spirit and all postal regulations, and is practically theft scope of the invention as claimed.v f Thus, for instance, instead of providing a;

multi-compartment receptacle, having a quei 1 v piece body structure, the receptacle may obviously be made up of individual units, Aeach unit having one or more compartments and the units rigidly connected with each other by rivets, bolts or other suitable connecting means. Further, although I have herein referred to the use of a heavy metal bar 29 for counterbalancing the compartment doors, it

ywill be understood that in lieu of this bar,

and means vwithin the box engagedby saidk connecting bar to limit pivotal movementof the doorsto their open' positions.

2. A receptacle having a plurality of compartments, a door for each of said compartments hingedly mounted adjacent its lower end for vertical swinging movement, and means rigidly connectingA said doors with each-other and substantially equalizing the ICJ .spectlve compartments, a series of doors 3. A receptacle having a plurality of com-A 5 partments, a door for each of said compartments hingedly mounted adjacent one of its ends for vertically swinging movement, a counter-balancing bar rigidly connecting said doors with each other adjacent their hinged ends and coacting with parts of the receptacle structure lto limit the movement of said doors to open and closed position.

4. A mail box having a pluralityI of mail receiving compartments and a front wall provided Awith spaced door openings for the rehingedly mounted in spaced relation to their lower ends within the box and controlling admission to the-compartments, a bar common to all of the doors extending across the inner sides thereof below the hinge pivot and inwardly thereof with respect to the front wall of the box, -and means 'for detachably and rigidly securing said -bar to the doors to connect the latter for unitary swinging movement tol-open and closed position, saiddoors in their closed positions being disposed in the plane of the front wall of the box, and said connecting bar being positioned out-of contact with said front wall. l

5. A receptaclel having a plurality 'of spaced vertical partitions providing separate compartments, a-door for each of said compartments hingedly mounted adjacent Aits lower end, a counter-balancin bar rigidly connecting said doors at their lower ends to each other for swinging movement as a unit to open and closed position, and said partition walls having openings through which said bar extends, said bar engaging said partition walls to limit the swinging movement of said doors. 6. In a multi-compartment receptacle hav- Ainga hingedly mounted verticallyV swinging door for each of said compartments., means for rigidly connecting said doors to each other for swinging movement as a unit, consisting of a common counter-balancing bar,

and means on each of the doors for rigidly atta ching said bar thereto at one side of and in parallel relation to the hinge laxis of the door. p i i 7. A mail box having a plurality of compartments and a front 'wall provided with spaced door openings for the respective compartments, a series of doors hingedly-mounted within the box adjacent their lower ends and controlling admission to the respective compartments, each door havingi'nwardly projecting flanges at its side edges, a common connecting bar for said doors engaged with said iianges below the hinge pivot of the doors and thereby spaced from the inner faces of the doors, and separate attaching devices for rigidly securing the said bar to each.

flange whereby the doors areconnected for unitary swinging movement to open and closed positions.

8. A receptacle having a plurality of compartments' and a front wall provided with vertically spaced door openings affording access to eachhcompartment, a series of inde- -pendently operable doors for one opening of eac-h compartment hin'gedly mounted upon said wall at its upper end,a door for the other opening of each compartmenthingedly mounted at its lower end upon said wall,` and a bar extending across the inner sides.'

of said latter doors adjacent their hinged ends and rigidly connecting .the same for urti-A tary swinging movement, said bar coacting with parts of the receptacle structure to limit the outward swinging movement of said doors to a substantially horizontal position.

9. A mail box having a plurality of compartments open at one side of the box, closure meansfor the open sides ofthe compartments hingedly mounted adjacent its lower end upon the box structure for unitary movement to open and closed position. spaced flanges projecting from the inner side of said closure means, and a single member carried by said flanges extending across all the compartments and adapted to engage a pluralityA of relatively ixed stop means within the box to limit the opening movement of the closure means to a substantially horizontal position.

10. In a multi-compartment collection receptacle having spaced partitions walls separa-ting thecompartments from each other and each of said compartment walls having an opening therein, a vertically swinging door for each of the compartments hingedly mounted upon the receptacle walls at its lower end, and a bar rigidly connecting the doors at .their -hinged ends with each other` and extending through the openings in said partition wall, said bar adapted for engagement withone edge of said openings and constituting a stop limitingthe outward swinging movement of the doors to open position in a substantially horizontal plane withv respect to the front wall of the receptacle.

11. A mailbox having spacedvertical partitions providing a plurality of lcompartments open at one side of the. box, closure means for the open sides ofthe compartments hingedly mounted adjacent its lower end upon the partitions, each of said partitions adjacent the open sides of the compartments and near the hinge axis of the closure means having a horizontally disposed stop, and

means'carried by said closure means posi-- tioned below the hinge axis thereof adapted to engage said horizontal Astops to limit the opening movement of the closure means to a substantially horizontal position.

12. A mail box having spaced vertical partitions providing a plurality of compartments open at one side of thebox, closure means for the open sides of the compartments hingedly mounted adjacent its lower end upon the partitions, Aveach of said partitions being cut out adjacent the hinge axis of said closure means to accommodate a movable. part carried by -said closure means below the hinge axis thereof, 'and said part adapted to engage transversely disposed edges at the upper sides of said cutout in the respective partitions to limit the opening movement of the closure means t0 a substantiall)7 horizontal position.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

SAMUEL HAMMER. 

